Where Peace Lives    by Debbie Robins & Victor Robert Order:  USA  Can Cambridge House Press, 2007 (2007) Hardcover     Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Though Debbie Robins' Where Peace Lives looks like a picture book from the outside, the volume and complexity of text inside orients it to older readers - pre-teens and up. Victor Robert's black and white illustrations, while sparse, are beautifully rendered. Presented as a children's fable for all ages, the book offers important insights on how to live in a way that promotes peace, tolerance and compassion for others. The story opens as the narrator shares a concern about world peace, and about why people can't get along - 'The world calls it "war." I call it crazy' - and dreams of an angel named Peace with 'a smile as brilliant as a sunset.' Then there's a knock on the door - a brown bear, Luther, has come asking for help to set the Peace angel free from 'an unbreakable glass box'. Three Keys are needed. They journey to the City of Right and Wrong - whose animal inhabitants are in conflict over milk - in a flying canoe. Siamese cat Mr. Buddha offers an Acceptance potion that gives critters empathy for each other's diffences. Those who lack Acceptance are swept away by the frightening Cube of Bitterness, while the narrator travels on with the old cat. Mr. Buddha explains 'why war can never make peace' and introduces a very forgiving ferret. Stops on the journey include the Sea of Forgiveness, the Land of La, and the Waterfall of Mercy. Along the way to The Mountain Where Dreams Are Made, the Keys are found, and Peace is freed. Was it just a dream? Let's hope not. At the back of this rather lengthy but illuminating book are brief bios of great leaders and prophets who have worked for peace, along with Exercises to Strengthen your Peace Muscle and journal pages for the reader's own Peace Journey. Part of the proceeds from sale of Where Peace Lives go to City Hearts and Earth Rights Institute. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews